Monaghan Harps Lotto: Numbers 3, 4, 2 and 12. Jackpot of €3,550 not won. Residual prizes: €100 Harry Hughes c/o Rose Hughes; €40 Hugh McCague c/o Séamus Treanor; €40 Amy Dalton c/o Jim Dalton (HC); €40 Mary McRory c/o Paddy Donnelly. Jackpot for Sunday, February 26 is €3,700. Lotto draw takes place in the clubhouse every Sunday night. All welcome. Ann and Kevin Treanor are on duty this week. The Lotto plays an integral part in the running of the club and we greatly appreciate the efforts of all ticket-sellers. If anyone would like to get involved with the lotto, they can contact Maria McKenna at 086 1057725.

Arch Club: We are delighted to be hosting Monaghan Arch Club at Gavan Duffy Park for the third year in a row this Thursday (February 23). All club members are invited to attend what is always a heart-warming occasion and all help would be appreciated from 7pm onwards.

 

Scór: The club will be taking part in Scór Sinsear this Saturday, February 25 in Ardaghey at 7pm. We will be represented in the quiz, novelty-act, music and recitation competitions and a lot of effort is being expended in preparations. Good luck to our competitors – all support would be welcome.

 

Defibrillator training: A defibrillator training course will take place in the clubhouse on Saturday, March 3 starting at 10am. It is important that as many club members as possible know how to use our defibrillator and we are fortunate to have Brendan Buckley as an instructor. Contact Liadhan at 086 7837204 if you want to take part.

 

White-collar boxing: There will be a meeting about our upcoming white-collar boxing fundraiser in the clubhouse this Sunday at 7pm. Anyone who wants to get involved in any way is welcome to attend.

 

Seniors/Reserves: The O’Duffy Cup team start their RFL Division One campaign away to Scotstown on Sunday week (March 4), while the Crawley Cup team have their first RFL Division Four game away to Killanny on March 11. The Senior Football League will start on April 11. March fixtures are available on our website – www.monaghanharps.gaa.ie.

 

Minors: The minor footballers have their first challenge match of the year at home to Burren this Saturday at 12 noon. Their first league game is at home to Scotstown on March 27.

 

Membership: Membership for 2012 can now be paid to registrar Maurice Galligan c/o Cosy Bar or to Liadhan in the clubhouse. Fees are €20 per adult, €10 per child or €50 for a family of two adults and any number of children. Supporters are asked to pay their subscription as soon as possible, as GAA rules dictate that membership must be paid by the end of March in order to have full voting rights at AGMs. All players are reminded that they must be a paid-up member of the club. It is also hoped to hold at least one registration night in the coming weeks – keep an eye on the club notes for more details.

 

Votes of sympathy: We offer our sympathy to the families of the late Mary Farmer, Monaghan and Kieran Finlay, Ballybay.

 

Dates to remember: Club Officer training for Monaghan has been fixed for St. Macartan’s College on Saturday, March 10. Our Saturday-morning juvenile coaching is due to restart on March 24. Our juvenile presentation night has had to be rescheduled, so keep an eye on the club notes/website/twitter page.

 

Main Pitch: All pitch bookings for training sessions and matches this year must go through Jimmy Croarkin, who can be contacted at 087 1249635.

  

Coaching Courses: Anyone who wants to take part in a Foundations Coaching Course on March 23/24 can contact Juvenile Club Secretary Val Forde at 087 9515175.

 

Happy Birthday: Greetings and many happy returns on behalf of all at the club to our hard-working and highly-valued groundsman Brian Harvey, who celebrates a special birthday tomorrow (Wednesday)!

 

Good luck: To the Monaghan senior hurlers in their first NHL game against Donegal in Clones this Sunday, especially the Harps lads on the panel, and to the county Under-21 footballers in the Shamrock Cup Final against Tyrone in Cloghan next Wednesday. Best of luck also to Neil McAdam in the Sigerson Cup Finals weekend with UUJ in Galway.

 

Aido file: Jimbob the cop with no hair on top is soon to be retired. His retirement party is to take place this Friday, February 24 in the Western Arms Hotel and drinks to begin at 10 for anyone interested joining in and supporting the fun! The event is also to have a ‘Lethal Weapon’ theme for all attending, ‘No one’s too old for that ‘stuff’’!!! The hurlers’ quiz has been postponed until Friday, March 9 in Tír na nÓg.

 

Handball: Congratulations to Conor McDonnell and Terry McElvaney on their Ulster titles last Saturday. Terry easily defeated Michael Shanks over two games to win the Under-21 Singles while Conor won his first-ever 40×20 Ulster medal in the Golden Masters B Final. Conor’s match against Conor McMahon from Lurgan went right down to the wire. The Harps player won the first game, lost the second and was behind for most of the third. He kept coming back to draw level on several occasions but again fell 19-16 behind at a crucial stage. Once again he came back to level at 19-19 only for Conor McMahon to reach match-point. The Armagh player had his chance of victory but missed the vital killshot and this allowed the Harps player back in to serve. He got the required two points to win by 21-20. This victory was fully deserved given the effort put in since Christmas to be fully fit for the final. Our players will now meet the Connacht champions in the All-Ireland semi-finals. The Ulster Juvenile semi-finals will take place in Kingscourt on Sunday next and we will be represented by the following players: Cailean Myles, Justas Dambinskas, Eoghan McGinnity, Ryan Mooney, Martin Mullen and Ramunas Ramanauskas. Justas and Eoghan are certainly peaking at the right time as they were in tremendous form at last week’s County Juvenile Doubles where they both reached the Under-12 Doubles final with their respective partners Jakub Szkup and Conor Myles. The County final will be on March 4 and with two equally competent pairings it will be impossible to predict the outcome. However, in Ulster, Justas and Eoghan team up together to represent Monaghan in Under-12 Doubles. It would be a great achievement if they could reach the final. We had two other pairings in the County Doubles. Well done to Konrad Kowal and Eligijus Skersonas for reaching the U-12 semi-finals at their first attempt and to Ciarán Cassidy and Patryk Sikora who reached the U-15 final.

  

Rith: Rith 2012 is a national run that will be coming through the county on Saturday, March 10, as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge. The run will come into Baile Mhuineacháin at 7.30 with a lap around the town and finish at the courthouse with a welcome from the County Council Cathaoirleach.